Two Lincoln Project Founders Call on Group to Disband

The final nails in the coffin of the scandalized Lincoln Project seem to have been hammered this afternoon by two of its more high-profile officials.

Kurt Bardella, who served as a senior adviser to the Lincoln Project, tweeted this afternoon that the anti-Republican SuperPAC should be “shut down.”

Just shut it down already … it’s over. https://t.co/esaNANQLgM

— Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) February 16, 2021

His tweet came in response to new reporting today that Lincoln Project founders knew of the sexual harassment allegations against their colleague John Weaver as early as March of 2020.

Multiple individuals began coming forward late Monday to discuss the allegations related to Weaver, and the timeline on which other senior management knew about them, after the group confirmed that a nondisclosure release applied to its current and former contractors, vendors and employees. Much of the group’s work was done by independent contractors and those working for private firms owned by its founders.

Their accounts contradict a timeline provided by Schmidt as recently as late last week. Schmidt had previously said that he did not know about the allegations against Weaver until January. They also show that co-founders knew months earlier than June, as had been previously reported by The 19th and other media outlets.

Many of the Lincoln Project principals have denied knowing about Weaver’s sexual texts to young men until media reports outlined the allegations just a few weeks ago.

Fox News reports that Kurt Bardella resigned last Friday but as of this afternoon, his biography is still featured on the Lincoln Project’s website.

Kurt Bardella has been a strategic communications advisor and media relations consultant for 16 years. Prior to joining The Lincoln Project, he worked as the spokesperson and senior advisor for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee under the leadership of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). During his time at the committee, Kurt choreographed the media strategy for investigations related to the 2008 financial crisis, the bailouts of financial institutions like Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, probes into corporate conglomerates such as Toyota, BP, and Johnson & Johnson. Kurt first came to Washington D.C. in 2006 to serve as the Communications Director & spokesperson for Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and later Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Kurt is also the Creator and Publisher of the influential country music media platform the “Morning Hangover.”

Also today, George Conway, one of the most high-profile co-founders of the Lincoln Project and infamous critic of former President Donald Trump, agreed with Bardella via Twitter that the organization should fold.

It's a shame, and we shouldn't forget the hard work of so many people and the positive things the organization did, but yes, I think this is right. https://t.co/To9dKcrigm

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) February 16, 2021

Frequent Lincoln Project target, Donald Trump Jr., didn’t waste any time in rubbing salt into the wound of the collapsing political organization and its supporters.

The rats are jumping off the ship…What did former Lincoln Project spokesman/adviser @KurtBardella know and when did he know it? https://t.co/US4FQD62ch

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 16, 2021

As it goes down in flames, the Lincoln Project announced Monday it has hired law firm Paul Hastings “to investigate allegations of inappropriate behavior by John Weaver as part of a comprehensive review of our operations and culture.”